Notebook holder



Aug. 28, 1934.

, R. J. DENIO 1,971,600

NOTEBOOK HOLDER Filed July 14, 1933 INVENTOR BY Q ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1934 l i 1,971,600

' UNITED. STATES (PATENT OFFICE NOTEBOOK HOLDER Robert J. Denio, Modesto, Calif. Application July 14, 1933, Serial No. 680,426

Claims. (Cl. 120-28) This invention relates to stenog'raphers acces- In the drawing similar characters of reference series, and particularly to a supporting strucindicate corresponding parts in the several views: ture for a stenographers notebook when typing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device shown from the notes. supporting a shorthand notebook. 5 In copying matter from a shorthand notebook Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device supit is new customary to lay the book fiat on the desk porting a sheet of cardboard and a number of or table to one side of the typewriter. In this sheets of paper. position the optic angle from the typist to the Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device alone. notebook is such that the eyes become strained Fig. 4 is a similar view of the upright standand impart fatigue to the entire nervous system. ard detached;

GI v

By propping the notebook into a peak the angle of Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged cross section vision is corrected and the eye is directed straight on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

at the page, meeting the same at approximately Fig. 6 is afragmentary longitudinal section on a right-angle. Without a suitable support howthe line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

ever the notebook cannot be maintained in such Referring now more particularly to the chara position. It is primarily for this purpose that acters of reference on the drawing, the base or I have devised my invention, the principal object body portion of the device is preferably made of of which is to provide a device for the purpose stiff heavy wire or light rod and comprises transwhereby a notebook of either the stiff or limp versely spaced and relatively short central porcover type may be instantly inserted and held tions 1 parallel to each other, and downwardly open in the above described position so that the sloping and diverging portions 2 projecting from reading surfaces of the pages are approximately both ends of the central portion and connected .-at right-angles to the line of vision of the typist at their lower ends by transverse strips 3 prefer- .reading therefrom. r ably provided on the bottom with felt pads 4 for A further object is to construct the holder so non-scratching engagement with the desk. that it will have no tendency to become overbal- Just beyond said strips the wires 2 are bent up anced and tip over when most of the pages of the in converging relation to each other to form right notebook have been turned toward the front or clipelements 5, said elements sloping upwardly in back of the book. Also the covers and as many converging relation to each other at an angle of "30 of the pages as it is desired to insert are gripped aproximately 60 to the horizon.

and held with suflicient firmness so-that the en- The central portions 1 are connected and held tire assembly of book and holder can be picked up against relative lateral movement by a plate 6 by grasping either the book or holder and moved having rolled edges forming sleeves 7 embracing about at will without the book becoming disensuch portions 1 for practically their full length 35 gaged. At the same time, when it is s d t as shown in Fig. 5. The plate also forms a supremove the notebook it is only necessary to grasp port for a leaf spring 8 which is secured thereto the book with one hand and the holder with the and extends to terminations back of the upper other and slip the book from place. ends of the clip elements 5, which form the mov- The device is al o S tab for hfl P p able portions or jaws of the clips. Said termina- 40 when rested on a sheet of cardboard or other tions of the spring preferably curve down somere v y Stiff material, in a rigid upstanding what, as shown in Fig. 6, so that there is no tendposition at approximately right-angles to the line ency for them to catch in the covers of a book of vision. Another use for the device is as eminserted in the clips.

ployment as a holder for an ordinary book which In supporting a notebook it is opened so that 5' may be maintained open at a definite page and its covers 9 are bent beyond a 180 position and held upright to c at copying matter theresaid covers are then inserted between the elements from. 5 and the spring, the lower edges of the covers A further object of the invention is to produce engaging the bend of the wires between the clip a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which portions 5 and the portions 2, so that the book is 50 will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for thus maintained in the desired peak position. The

which it is designed. pages of the book may also be engaged by the These objects I accomplish by means of such clips and they are thus releasably held in the structure and relative arrangement of parts as proper position for reading the notes and said will fully appear by a perusal of the following pages may of course be readily withdrawn from 155- specification and claims. one clip and thrown back for engagement with the other if desired. If the book is of the stiff cover type the above structure is all that is necessary to support the book in the desired position. A limp cover book however requires additional support to hold it from collapse. I therefore provide such support in the form of an upright standard, adapted to be removably mounted on the base portion of the device.

This support is preferably made of stiff spring wire and comprisesa pair of transversely spaced legs 11 lying in a common transverse plane at their upper ends and being connected at such ends by a cross element 12. The legs however diverge toward their lower ends in the longitudinal plane of the device and at their lower ends are provided with laterally bent extensions 13 disposed in facing relation to each other. These extensions are adapted to removably engage sockets 14 secured on and under the plate 6 and disposed in longitudinally spaced relation. The legs 11 of course straddle the central portion of the frame when in place and the extensions then engage the sockets from their opposite ends. The standard may thus be inserted in place or removed by springing the lower portions of the legs apart sufficiently for the extensions to engage or disengage the entering ends of their sockets. The extensions being longitudinally offset from each other, there is no tendency for the standard to swing or tip lengthwise and the need of any securing devices such as set screws etc. is avoided. The standard is of such a height from the supportingbase as to engage a supported notebook at the peak or at the junction or binding edge between the covers.

The device may also be used to support a stiff backing sheet 15 toward its upper end when such sheet is engaged by one clip and is being used to support documents or other individual sheets of paper, as shown in Fig. 2. An ordinary book may also be held in an open position on the device, the back of the book resting against the top or the standard and the opened leaves being engaged in front and on opposite sides of the line of binding by one of the clips, which prevents such leaves from any tendency to turn over relative to each other.

The standard being removable from the base, facilitates the packing of the device away when not in use in a relatively compact space, such as a desk drawer.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device asv substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A holder for a stenographic notebook comprising spaced clips to engage the covers and leaves of a notebook, the spacing between said clips being such that the covers of an upstanding notebook engaged by said clips will then include an angle of substantially sixty degrees and a standard mounted on and projecting upwardly from the holder centrally between the clips to support the book at the apex of the covers.

2. A holder for a note book and the like comprising a book engaging clip on and upstanding from the holder at an acute angle thereto, said clip comprising an outer element rigid with the holder and projecting upwardly at an angle of substantially sixty degrees thereto, and a cooperating depressible spring element behind the rigid element; and a standard projecting upwardly from the holder to a termination longitudinally spaced from the clip.

3. A holder for a stenographic notebook comprising a base to rest on a desk, upstanding elements on the base at its ends disposed at an 0 acute angle thereto and forming the fixed jaws of clips, the central portion of the base being raised relative to the end portions, and a leaf spring mounted on and extending both ways from said central portion or" the base and termi- 110 nating against the backs of the fixed jaw elements to form the cooperating spring jaws of the clips.

4c. A device as in claim 3, with a standard removably mounted on and projecting upwardly from the central portion of the base.

5. A holder for a note book and the like comprising a base, a book engaging clip on and upstanding from the base at one end, and at an acute angle thereto, and a standard projecting upwardly from the base in longitudinally spaced rela- 120 tion to the clip said standard comprising transversely spaced legs to straddle the base disposed in a common transverse plane at their upper ends, a connecting element between such ends, the legs diverging downwardly relative to each other in the longitudinal plane of the base, and lateral extensions on the lower ends of the legs disposed in facing relation to each other; there being longitudinally spaced laterally extending sockets on the base to receive such extensions.

ROBERT J. DENIO; 

